


The Abstract Art of Affection

by readwritesleep



Category: SKAM (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Even Bech Næsheim and Isak Valtersen Meet Differently, Alternate Universe - Photographer, Eskild is the Mom Friend, Hurt Isak Valtersen, M/M, Oneshot, Protective Even Bech Næsheim, SKAM, evakAU, evakoneshot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-28
Updated: 2017-05-28
Packaged: 2018-11-05 23:40:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11024010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/readwritesleep/pseuds/readwritesleep
Summary: Isak gets to know Even as an artist before he gets to know him as a person, but he is quickly taking a liking to the man behind the camera. After all, art means risk, and balancing on the edge has always been a good way to get to know a person.





	The Abstract Art of Affection

"Do you have any experience with modelling?"

Isak slowly raised his head from his biology textbook. His eyes were red, his brain was overflowing with all the different organelles of a cell, and all he could get out was: "Huh?"

Sana raised her eyebrows. "Modelling. In front of a camera. Have you done it?"

Isak scrunched up his brow in a series of neat little furrows and gave her a look. "Eh, no?"

"Have you had people take pictures of you before? Casually?" Sana's fingers had started to type furiously on her phone and she was pursing her lips in a determined fashion. 

"Not other than Jonas snapping a few pictures when I tried his board. What's this about?"

Sana's phone suddenly gave out a buzzing sound and her lips quirked into a smile. "You're being photographed tonight."

"I'm sorry?" Isak rubbed at his red eyes. His head had started to pound and he wondered if he might seriously have to consider glasses. "Whatever you've set up, cancel it. I'll be off in a bit to watch Netflix in bed, so..."

"Smile." A flash went off in his face and Isak blinked furiously against the offending light and the lingering darkness that punched holes in his vision. 

"Sana!" he protested and reached blindly for her phone. 

She easily brushed his hands out of the way and continued to type with her right hand. "I'm just giving him a sample."

Isak huffed and leaned back in his chair. "Who's he?"

"A friend of my brother's. They were on the same bus last year, he's studying film and media now." Her phone buzzed again and her eyebrows went up. "Yeah, he's not letting you off the hook."

Isak threw his hands up. "Great. Do I even know him?"

"You're about to." Sana turned her phone screen towards him. "His name is Even and he's keen on using you in his project."

A secretive smirk, voluminous blond hair and intense eyes were staring back at Isak from the screen. He leaned a little closer and took note of the sharp jaw and the plump lips, which he quickly filed away for later consideration before moving on to the guy's worn denim jacket and his frayed hoodie strings. Trashy hipster, but having a too good hair day to make it all match up - he looked like the kind of guy that would go to an obscure, underground skate park from the 70s with Jonas, but while Jonas would be there for the authentic skating experience, this guy would be there for the architecture. 

Isak leaned back in his chair. "I have no problem believing that he's into media studies. Why me though?"

"Apparently he's as desperate for a subject as you are for a Friday night that's not utterly tragic." Sana gave him a quick once over. "And I guess you're pretty nice to look at, from an objective perspective."

Isak made his eyes go wide and his eyebrows shoot towards his hairline. "An objective perspective? I'm nice to look at from all perspectives, I'll have you know."

Sana smiled brightly. "Great, then he'll have lots of options when he's snapping. You're meeting him in five." She closed her biology book with a smack at the same time as Isak started spluttering.

"He's coming here?"

"He's my brother's friend, of course he's coming here." Sana looked at him like she wanted him to feel stupid. Isak felt stupid. And underdressed. 

"I'm wearing jeans and a hoodie."

Sana nodded towards her closet. "I have a blouse you can borrow?"

Isak rolled his eyes and got up from his chair. "Funny. Where's the bathroom?"

"Isak, you were here last week."

"I'll find the bathroom."

He found the bathroom. After splashing some water in his face and rubbing at his sore eyes, he gave himself a long look in the mirror, revealing a very red face and a kebab stain on his sweater. He started rubbing at the stain with his thumb and frowned. Today had been the third Friday in a row that he and Jonas went for kebabs after school. They bought them from the same shop as last week. They ate them at the same bench. He might even have a similar stain lurking amongst last week's laundry. 

"You really are tragic," he told his reflection.

Perhaps he needed this. Excitement. A change. Eskild would think so. Isak could feel Eskild's heavy gaze and witty words peeking at him from a crisp, fresh memory from last night: _"You need dick, Isak. Dick."_

The sharp jaw line and the plump lips from earlier resurface from their file with frightening speed and delightful clarity. Yes, Isak thought. He could do with a change.

~

No matter how long Isak's steps were, Even's were longer. He had a bounce in his steps that made him fly along the pavement, not to mention that his legs were freakishly long. Isak was breaking into a light sweat just trying to keep up. 

"Really cool of you to do this on such short notice," Even said. He looked over his shoulder with a grin that showed off his teeth and wrinkled the corners of his eyes. 

Isak felt his face automatically settle into a matching expression. "Yeah, no problem. I'm really not a model though, just so that's clear."

"You'll do." Even's voice had a playful tone to it that made Isak's smile widen. "Either way, this isn't a job for a model. I need ordinary people. Authenticity. You feel?"

"Right. Yeah." He thought he did. He still believed that he'd look awkward in front of a camera though.

A hand settled on his arm and Isak looked into Even's eyes that had suddenly gone soft. "Don't worry, I have a plan. You trust me, right?"

"I just met you, of course I trust you," Isak blurted out. 

Even's face cracked into a grin again, and he laughed. "Come on," he said, "we'll catch the next tram if we hurry."

"We're taking the tram?"

"Yeah, I scouted down a location weeks ago that I've wanted to get back to. Come on."

~

"So the whole project is based on lyrics." Even was fighting his way through the undergrowth, branches snapping back into place behind him, and never had Isak thought that the greenery could get so thick so quickly in the middle of the city. "I'm planning on taking the pictures that pop into my head when I listen to music and make them into photographs." 

Another branch, another snap, and Even turned around to face Isak with an artist's intense glint in his eyes. "Have you ever felt that, that a lyric gives you an image?"

"Ehm..." Isak ducked under a cluster of dripping branches and tried to recall the last song he'd listened to. "Do you mean like a music video?"

Even shook his head. "Just still pictures. Capturing the essence of the art." His hands had gotten involved as he spoke, and his facial expression was focused and intense. "It's... an embodiment of words."

Isak smiled at Even's enthusiasm whilst shaking his head. "Can't say I've had that, no."

"Well, you're about to be a part of it. The first picture is just over here." Even nodded his head towards the wall of branches in front of them. "Come."

Once they'd gotten through the last network of leaves and branches, and their clothes were damp with the lingering rain water, they entered a clearing. In the middle of it was a ruin, a dark stone building adorned with bright patches of thick block letters made by teenage hands and neon spray paint. The roof was completely gone and only two of the walls were still standing tall. The other walls were only blunt teeth protruding from a concrete floor scattered with branches and darkened leaves, remains from an autumn that winter hadn't been able to shake. The place was wrapped in shadows from the tree trunks that were quickly growing dark in the early spring evening, but it didn't feel sinister. Soft bird song, light grey rays of post sunset light and a warm body in front of him spraying white, misty breathes into the air was all Isak needed to sense the magical buzz of a forgotten place that was being coaxed back to life.

"Could you go stand by that wall there? By the graffiti?" Even's voice was gentle, and when Isak nodded he thought that Even could sense it too, this feeling of entering a sacred place.

He walked over to the wall with calculated steps, carefully avoiding fallen bricks and small puddles clogged with leaves. He stopped in front of the wall and studied the swirling colours. Right in front of him, orange, green and pink spray paint had been fused together to form a colourful recreation of the word 'loser'. His eyes flickered over to Even who was just putting down his backpack on a dry piece of concrete. Graceful hands started to pull out a camera and hung the leather strap carefully around their owner's neck before turning back to the backpack and pulling out -

"A sleeping bag?"

Even looked up with a secretive little smile. "You'll see."

After the sleeping bag came a white, porcelain mug and a can of red spray paint. Even gathered all the items into his arms and started to set them up next to Isak. His bottom lip fled in between his teeth and was being bitten red and swollen as he fiddled with the sleeping bag and nudged the mug left and right until he finally took step back and nodded in satisfaction. He was still clutching the spray can in his left hand, and he turned his intense eyes on Isak at the same time as he reached out and offered it to him. 

"Hold on to this. Which one is your dominant hand?"

Isak swallowed and took the can from Even. "Right."

"Then I want it in your right. Are you ready to start?"

Isak wiped a sticky palm on his leg and nodded. 

Even put a hand on his shoulder and looked right into him, right through his eyes and through the curls huddling at the back of his head. "Isak?"

"Yeah," Isak breathed out. "I'm ready."

Even nodded and removed his hand from Isak's shoulder. The warmth of it still lingered on Isak's skin as the distance grew between them and Even removed the lenses cap from his camera with expert fingers.

"Now I want you to stay as close to the wall as you're currently standing, but a bit further away from the props", Even said as he raised the camera towards his face and started fiddling with the settings. "Put about half a meter between you and the sleeping bag."

Isak looked down at his feet and took a step to the right. 

"Perfect. Look at me please."

He looked up and felt his heart start to thud in his chest. Even's brow was scrunched up above the camera and his hair was a nest of dark blond strands, a halo above the intimidating darkness of the lens.

"There we go. Okay, this is the tricky part. We need the feeling, the essence of the art. You'll have to work with me. You up for that?"

Isak tried to calm his heart with a deep breath. "Yeah."

"Good." Even fiddled with a few settings and nodded to himself. "This is a good shot. What I need from you now is a look. This shot is about being haunted. Alone and haunted. You and your head. Get me?"

"I..." Isak gripped the can a bit harder. "You and your head?"

"Yeah. You're alone with your thoughts. Have you had that feeling, Isak?" Even was still looking at Isak through his camera, but the way he said his name told Isak that he was as present as though he had been looking straight into his eyes. 

Isak swallowed roughly. "I guess. Yeah. I don't know how to convey that in a look though."

"That's okay. I think..." Even's presses his lips together for a second. "Have you had days running on no sleep at all? When your head is just one big lump of cotton wool?"

Isak thinks of last year, staring up into his ceiling at night, Jonas concerned glances during the day. "Yeah. I have."

"And you know the empty look you get? Like... like you left yourself behind somewhere?"

 _No one's mad at you. We're just concerned for you, man._ Isak nodded. "Yeah."

"That's the look. You don't have to look into the camera. Just find that."

Isak turned his gaze to a spot over Even's left shoulder where he could let his eyes go out of focus, and he did his best. He tried to feel heavy, tired, done with everything. It was terrifying how quickly it came back to him. Even if there was fragrant twilight air around him and a Jonas at the skate park who didn't have to worry, the sensation that came creeping felt real.

He tried to stay calm as the mechanical clicking sound of the camera broke through the silence. Once. Twice. He took a deep breath. Heavy. Tired. Even's blurry figure lowered the camera. Isak breathed out. Done.

He shifted his gaze to Even and studied his frown as he flipped through the pictures. "This is good, Isak", he said. "It's good. I just think..." He sucked in his bottom lip between his teeth. "I think we need something rawer."

"Rawer?"

"Yeah. Something more... exposed. Perhaps..." Even froze. He looked up at Isak with wide eyes, mouth hanging open. "I can't ask you that," he said. 

"Can't ask me what?"

"No, I can't, although it would only be for artistic purposes, and I really think that the contrast between naked skin and stone would be - "

Isak's heart took a leap into his mouth. "You want me to get naked?"

Even shook his head. "Only your jeans. The hoodie would still cover all the... bits. And you'd be wearing your pants, of course."

"Of course."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." Even tried to meet Isak's gaze, but Isak couldn't quite get himself to do it. "When I'm shooting I only see art. This is all art, okay?"

Isak nodded. "Yeah."

"Okay. Good." Even looked down at his camera and again. "Maybe we should just - "

"If I can turn around."

Even's head snapped up. "What?"

"If I can turn around, have my back to you, then I'll do it."

Even studied him with a serious expression. "If you feel like I'm pressuring you in any way -"

"You're not," Isak said. His shoulders had taken on a determined stance. "It's for art, right?"

Even smiled. "Yes. Although I'm starting to think that you're more of a science guy."

Isak raised his eyebrows. "Where do I put my trousers?"

Even's smile grew. "In the backpack."

Isak slipped out of his trainers and pulled off his socks without a word. He padded over to the backpack on bare feet, the concrete burning cold against his skin. Carrying his shoes instead of wearing them already felt like a mistake, but Isak wasn't backing down now. He rolled his socks into tight balls, shoved them into his shoes and dropped all of it next to the backpack before starting to unzip his jeans. 

"Here it goes," he mumbled and pulled the trousers down to his ankles.

The chilly air attacked from all angles simultaneously and Isak had to fight to suppress a shiver. He made short process of wriggling his feet out of the trouser legs and shoving the trousers into the backpack. 

"Same place as before?" Isak called over his shoulder. 

"Yeah," Even called back. "Next to the sleeping bag."

A wet leaf clung to the underside of Isak's foot when he made his way back, and he had to stop and peel it off before he got into position. The chill had started make goose bumps appear on his legs, all the way along his thighs and up to the edge of his boxer briefs. The sweater was only teasing the lower parts of his arse cheeks, offering cover, but also the promise of a full display if he raised his arms a little too high. Isak turned to face the wall without giving Even a glance.

"This looks... Yes." Isak couldn't see Even, but he could hear his excitement. "Brilliant Isak, brilliant. We still need to see it though. The feeling I told you about earlier. Can you tense up?"

Isak clenched his right hand around the spray can and tensed the muscles in his legs. His neck turned rock hard as he stared intensely at the bright letters forming the word 'loser' in front of him. The letters were looking back at him, questioning, and he stared them right down. He might have had a kebab stain left on his sweater, and he might have needed glasses, and he might have had a history of not being able to own up to his own expectations, but here with Even, he was being brave. Brave for art.

The camera let out a clicking sound, and Isak felt a flood of adrenaline rush through him. The world felt sharp. From the colours on the wall to the air on his legs - everything was pricking at his senses in the most intoxicating way. He bit his lip and waited for the next click, but it never came.

"Isak, you're a genius."

Isak blinked a couple of times and felt his muscles relax. "Are we done?"

"This is absolutely brilliant." Even didn't seem to have heard him. "The anonymity of a turned back, it's perfect," he went on. "And then the soft hair complementing the skin, and the tense muscles complementing the wall..."

Isak took this as a cue to turn around, and took a few steps towards Even who was completely absorbed in his camera. When he was close enough to take a peek at the screen, Even looked up and met him with a blinding smile. 

"Fucking hell Isak, this my picture!" Even let his camera dangle from his neck and grabbed Isak's face with both hands before planting a loud kiss on his forehead. 

Isak spluttered for a bit, but couldn't help but laugh when he saw the absolutely overjoyed expression on Even's face. "Okay, lover boy, let's see it then."

Even held up the camera for him to see. The small screen didn't show off the full potential of the picture, but it still made something in Isak's stomach jolt. It was in black and white, and it showed a young man standing next to a sleeping bag and a forgotten coffee cup, exposed to the world, clutching a spray can and staring at the word on the wall. Fighting sleep. Staring down his thoughts.

"I never sleep, 'cause sleep is the cousin of death," Even said quietly. 

Isak looked at him in confusion for a second, before he remembered: _An embodiment of words._

A smile spread across his lips. "Neat."

Even looked at him, his expression open and sincere. "You think so?"

"Definitely."

Even beamed, teeth showing and eyes wrinkling. 

They were standing close on sacred ground, eyes clear, breaths mingling, and Isak thought that he must be one step closer to understanding art.

~

"How did you know that I'm a science type of guy?"

The sky was almost black outside the tram window, and the rocking of the tram sent lazy sparks of excitement through Isak's belly. His legs were still adorned with goose bumps underneath his jeans, and Even was sitting close, their sides pressed up against each other.

"How I knew?" Even said. "It was the reasoning. The way you compromised and found a solution, rather than talking about what the artist in you was feeling."

Isak looked at him with raised eyebrows. "I know that there are cells with ribosomes and nuclei and a whole lot of other stuff in my body, but I haven't found an artist hiding in there."

Even laughed. "Biology then?" 

Isak nodded. "Biology."

"Well, my dear, aspiring scientist, I think we should celebrate the start of the journey towards finding the artist in you." Even unclasped a buckle on his backpack and started to dig through it.

Isak heard the sharp sound of glass bottles clinking against each other threw a quick glance over his shoulder. There was an elderly couple sitting at the back of the cart, and a little boy who didn't seem more than two years old was sleeping on his mother's shoulder a few seats away. "Are you sure that we should do that in here?"

"Positive." Even nudged his arm, and Isak looked down to find him holding out two glass bottles of coke.

"Thanks..." Isak accepted one of them. "That's... yeah. Okay."

Even looked amused as he dug around in his pocket for a bottle opener. "Did you think that I'd be serving alcohol on public transport? To a minor, no less?"

"I think you're capable of many things," Isak muttered.

Even grinned. "I am." The bottle cap hissed. Even handed the bottle opener to Isak, who took it with a questioning look.

"Why glass bottles?" he asked as he popped off his own cap. 

Even took a deep swallow of soda. When he finished, he let out a satisfied breath and saluted Isak with his bottle. "It fits the aesthetics."

Isak snorted. "You need to meet Jonas."

"Jonas?" Even took another swing from his bottle. "Is he a boyfriend?"

"Friend. Best friend. You'd like him."

"Yeah?" Even placed his left hand between them, so close that his fingers were brushing Isak's leg. 

"Yeah." Isak covered Even's hand with his own. "You're both pretentious idiots. Those tend to stick together."

"Careful." Even pointed at him with his bottle. "You're spending the rest of the evening with this idiot. I still have more of your inner artist to uncover."

"Well then." Isak clinked his bottle against Even's. "What's the next stop?"

The street lights that flickered past reflected in Even's eyes as he smiled. "The roof of Oslo."

~

It had gotten completely dark when they arrived. The world was silent and soft around them as they walked up to the silhouette of a bench, a patch of solid black against a light-polluted sky, and the grass was clinging to their ankles with wet fingers.

"A bit like stars, don't you think?" Even pointed at the little pearls of light from the buildings that were scattered below them. Blue and white and yellow and red. From where they were standing, they were just like jewels: a treat for the eye with no other purpose than beauty.

"Yeah, a bit like stars", Isak agreed. They sat down on the bench together and rested their palms on the damp wood. A light breeze tussled their hair, and Isak looked over at Event to see it rake through his curled strands. "What line are we shooting here then?" he asked. 

A playful smile tugged at Even's lips. "You'll laugh at me."

"What?" Isak looked back at the twinkling lights. "Are you going to top the coke bottles?"

"Well..." Isak heard Even huff out a laugh. "It's from a song by a Swedish rap duo. They released an EP in 2014 and haven't done anything since. Most people I know say they're shit but... I don't know. I think they've got something going for them." Even suddenly reached out and gripped Isak's hand tightly. "I'm going to hold on to this now so you don't run away from my hipster tendencies."

Isak looked at him in disbelief. "Tendencies? Dude, you fucking breathe plaid shirts and environment-friendly paper bags!" 

Even let out a laugh that spread vibrations through his body and put a smile on Isak's face. "Is that what you think of me?"

"It's close." Isak squeezed Even's hand once. "Show me where you want me then."

Even nodded. "I have props in my bag." He squeezed Isak's hand back before letting go. The chill felt offending against his palm after the warm pressure of Even's skin, but he didn't have time to mourn it for long as Even quickly resurfaced from his bag and dumped a pile of white sheets of paper into his arms. 

"These are the props?" Isak asked. He flickered through some sheets with his thumb and frowned. "They're blank."

"That's the point." Even smiled secretively as he hosted a camera stand from his bag. "I'm just going to put this together real quick, then we'll get started."

Isak watched Even's movements as he fiddled with the plastic knobs on the stand. "No hand held camera this time?"

Even shook his head. "The shutter speed I'll be using wouldn't allow it."

Isak frowned. "And that's because..."

"Right." Even threw a quick glance at Isak and gave him an apologetic smile. "The basic idea is that I need to let a lot of light into the camera to get an image when it's this dark, so the picture is being taken for a longer time than I can hold my hands still." Even stood up with his camera stand and hosted the backpack over his shoulder.

Isak followed with a sly smile. "You mean that even _your_ hands start shaking under pressure?" he said.

The look Even gave him was more serious than the comment had made room for. His eyes grew solemn and his mouth pulled into a thoughtful frown. Slowly, Even reached out and brushed a lock of hair out of Isak's face. "We all shiver in the dark," he said.

Isak drew in a deep breath and let it out in the form of a low, hesitant laugh. "That's pretty dark."

Even pulled his hand back, and suddenly a smile was tugging at his lips again. "Yeah," he said, "I told you, didn't I?"

"I didn't mean -" Isak sighed. "You're an idiot."

"Pose for the idiot, will you?" Even started walking backwards and pointed at him with a stern finger. "Stay right here."

Even stopped a few meters behind the bench and planted the camera stand firmly in the grass. Isak watched him work whilst fiddling with the sheets of paper that were still resting in his hands. The sheets flapped lazily against each other as the ends were caught by the breeze.

"Ready?" Even's smile was just about visible through the darkness.

Isak gave him a thumbs up. "Ready."

"Good, 'cause I'd like to get this done in one shot." Even tapped a finger against his camera. "You're going to stand with your back to me, and you're going to throw those papers into the air. One shot. Think you can do that?"

Isak raised his eyebrows. "I wouldn't be crazy about running down the hill after these papers, so I'll do my damn best."

Even's teeth shone bright as he grinned. "That's the attitude. I'll count us down, okay? On three."

"Got it." Isak turned around and gripped the papers tighter.

"One."

Isak took a deep breath. He blinked hard, making the city blur and come back into focus.

"Two."

The lights of Oslo twinkled back at him, like a playful wink to life. He tensed his muscles.

"Three!"

The papers went straight upwards, and then the breeze carried them, up and away and all around. Isak's face was raised towards the sky as he watched the white sheets pierce the black. Some of them looped around and bounced off his shoulders, others landed in the grass around his feet, whilst some wandered far from his field of vision.

"Did you get it?" he called into the air.

A whoop and a laugh sounded from behind him. "We got it!"

Isak turned around. "Yeah?"

Even looked up from the camera with a grin. "Come have a look."

A few steps later and Isak was staring at his own silhouette, a dark grey figure with his head thrown back and arms spread wide. The bench in the centre of the picture was pitch black, the lights of Oslo were light grey dusting and the white papers were a blurry haze of movement and light. 

"And the dreams fly on paper birds," Even said. 

Isak smiled. "It's beautiful."

Even turned his head and looked at him. "Yeah?"

Isak nodded. "Yeah."

The wind picked up a strand of Isak's air and sent it flying into his eyes. Even prayed it out of its grasp and settled it behind Isak's ear with gentle fingers. "I have another picture, but I don't know if you'll be up for it."

Isak caught Even's fingers between his own. "Me? I'm up for anything."

The little smirk that graced Even's lips was equal parts unsettling and exhilarating. "Ready to get wet?"

~

The neighbourhood was filled with carefully trimmed hedges, manicured lawns and villas so fresh out of the package that even the air smelled polished. The silence among the tall walls felt heavy and expensive. It made Isak long for noisy tram carts and wet grass, or anything that didn't feel like the gaze of a security camera. 

"Whose pool did you say it was?" he said as they turned left onto a freshly paved driveway.

"My aunt's." Even had the same bounce in his step as always and didn't seem to notice Isak's hesitation as they approached the house. The dark windows seemed to glare at them. 

"I don't think she's home," Isak said. 

Even flashed him a quick smile. "She isn't. She's on holiday."

Isak nodded. "But you have a key?"

Even's smile widened. "Better." He beckoned Isak to follow him and set off along the side of the house. 

At ground level, there was a small window leading into a basement. The window had been left slightly open with only a hatch keeping it locked from the inside. Even sat down on his hunches and started digging around in his pockets. When he pulled out a pair of keys, Isak finally got it.

"We're breaking into someone's basement?"

Even wedged a key into the gap. "I told you, it's my aunt's house, it's cool."

Isak went up behind Even and watched the procedure with a frown. "Still, breaking and entering, it's not really - "

"We're not breaking anything, we're just - " The key had wedged itself between the window and the wall and wouldn't budge. "Fuck."

"Here, let me -" Isak crouched down, and at the same time as he reached over Even's shoulder to grab the key, a chain reaction was set off.

Inside the basement, a switch was flicked, and suddenly Isak and Even were bathed in light that attacked their eyes that had just adapted to the darkness outside. Even yelped and flinched back, causing his head to snap up, and, with all the force of a startled fully grown man, it hit Isak square in the face.

Pain exploded from Isak's nose and spread in waves through his head. When shocked hands went up to asses the damage, blood had already started flowing heavily down his face, and it trickled into Isak’s mouth as he yelled: "Fuck!"

"Who's there?" It was a woman's voice, shrill and accusing and very close.

"Shit shit shit!" Even's face was suddenly very close to Isak's, his eyes wide with panic, and all Isak had time to see was a glimpse of long blond hair and a fluffy bathrobe on the other side of the glass before he was being hauled away by Even's strong arms.

A groan escaped Isak's lips as he staggered along the driveway, hands still clutching his face whilst the blood dyed the cuffs of his sweater raspberry red. The woman was still yelling behind them, and Even was clutching him against his side, one arm around his waist and one hand resting against his shoulder as they speed through the shattered silence.

"Your aunt isn't on holiday,” Isak managed as they snagged a bush whilst rounding a corner.

"She is. This way." Even dragged him across the road and suddenly they were speeding down a small walk way lined by luscious flowery bushes.

"She is? Then who the fuck was - " Another sharp turn, and Isak let out a groan as the movement jostled his head.

"Not much further, Isak." Even's hand went up from Isak's shoulder to his neck and Isak could feel the jolt that went through him when he encountered thick, sticky wetness. "Shit, there's so much blood."

Isak let out a muffled sound of of agreement.

They slowed down as they rounded the next corner. "Let's sit over here."

The playground that was hidden away in the corner of the neighbourhood had two wooden benches, one by the swings and one under an old tree with budding leaves. Even sat Isak down in the shadow of the tree and kneeled in front of him. 

"Can you show me your face?"

Isak slowly lowered his hands and grimaced as the pressure on his nose changed. The eyes that met him when he looked into Even's face were soft, and the hands on his cheeks were gentle. One finger trailed up the bridge of his nose, and then it went down, tracing the swollen skin under his right eye. Even's hand stopped at the top of his Cupid's bow, where he caught a drop of blood before it could slip past Isak's gently parted lips.

"I'm so sorry,” Even said. The words were no more than a whisper.

Isak swallowed thickly. "Whose house was it?"

Even's lips parted and hovered in a slightly opened mouthed expression. "I - " He cleared his throat. "It was supposed to be charming."

Isak's stomach did a surprisingly acrobatic flip. "Even - "

"It belongs to someone I went to middle school with."

Isak stared at him. "Middle school?"

Even nodded. "Yeah."

"Well..." Isak trailed off. More blood trickled over his lips, the breeze smelled sweet, and Even looked ridiculous with his long legs folded underneath him. His expression was guarded, but his hands were still soft on Isak's skin, and suddenly Isak was smiling. "That was a fucking dumb thing to do, in the name of art or otherwise."

Even looked at him. His responding smile was a slow process of hesitant lips whose corners slowly curled upwards. "You're bleeding into my hands, you're allowed to say that I'm a dick."

"Haven't had dick in a while, told myself I needed a change," Isak said in one breath.

That startled a laugh out of Even, and between the pure sound of happiness, the pain of a blow, the smell of spring, and the taste of blood, Isak didn't think that he had ever been in the middle of a more intoxicating paradox.

"Come on," Even said. His hands cupped Isak's face gently and his thumb went up to wipe away another drop of blood. "I'll get you home so we can clean this up."

Isak raised his eyebrows at him. "You're going with me?"

"Of course," Even said. Another drop of blood trickled over his fingers and he frowned. "I don't like that it hasn't clotted."

Isak shrugged lightly. "Thin blood."

Even stood up and offered Isak a hand. "We'll have to hunt down an old lady on the way and talk her into giving us all her paper napkins."

Isak accepted the help and shot Even an amused smile. "You do the talking then."

~

"It's that door there."

"This one?"

"Yeah." Isak started digging in his pockets after the key whilst keeping one hand on Even's hip. His head still felt heavy and sluggish after several minutes on the tram.

The rattling of lock and key echoed in the stairwell as they stepped inside.

"There's no elevator, so..." Isak trailed off.

Even squeezed his hip. "I've got you." He threw Isak a look as they headed for the stairs. "Your parents will freak out when they see you like that."

"They won't, but my roommates might." Isak gestured vaguely off to their right. "Careful with the railing here, it's loose."

Even let go of the railing and placed both his hands on Isak as they continued to climb. "Roommates?" he asked.

"Yeah, they..." Isak sucked in a deep breath through his mouth. "Fuck, I can't speak with all these tissues in my nose."

Even laughed lightly. "It's alright, I won't ask any more questions. Just tell me where to stop."

"One more floor."

Isak's nose throbbed with every step, and it was relief when they stopped in front of the familiar door. Isak unlocked it, and when they stepped into the warmth after kicking their way through shoes and discarded clothing, they were met with blissful silence.

"Hello?" Isak called. A beat passed with no answer. "Nice. You can put your - "

"Isak, is that you?" a voice called a from the bathroom.

Isak sighed. "Yes, it's me. I brought someone."

Even dropped his backpack on the floor and slipped out of his shoes, one arm still resting around Isak's waist. "Is that Jonas?"

Isak kicked off his own trainers and brought a hesitant hand up to his nose. "No, it's - "

"Are you bleeding?" Eskild had appeared in the doorway, dripping wet and with only a ratty old bath towel around his waist to cover his nudity. He gave Isak a concerned look before giving Even a once over. "And you're handsome. Hello."

Isak sighed and waved a hand between the two. "Even Eskild, Eskild Even."

Even reached out a hand in greeting. "Pleasure."

Eskild grinned as he shook Even's hand. "Same to you."

"Right, we're going to sit down." Isak tugged gently on Even's arm. "Where's Linn?"

"In her room. Do you need help with that?" Eskild nodded towards Isak's nose. "It looks like it hurts."

"I - " Isak flinched as he gently prodded the bruised skin. "Do we have any ice?"

"On it." Eskild shot Even a smile. "You can put this one on the sofa in the meantime. Just try to keep his nose from being - " he gestured vaguely - "jostled."

Isak frowned. "Eskild - "

"You're young Isak," Eskild called over his shoulder. "I'm only looking after you." His hips swayed in their towel-skirt as he slipped around the corner.

"Unbelievable," Isak muttered.

Even chuckled next to him. "He seems charming."

Isak raised his eyebrows at him. "Well, at least he's not breaking into basements."

"I think you need to stop talking now, you're injured." Even tugged on Isak's arm. "Where's the sofa?"

Isak waved a hand in Eskild's direction. "The way the madman went."

Even's hands never left him as they walked to the living room and settled on the sofa. His long fingers curled over Isak's cheekbones and cradled his head. He carefully turned it left and right, studying the bruising with a frown. 

"I'm sorry to say that this won't be gone by Monday." He traced his thumb over a patch of dried blood that had escaped the vast amount of tissues. "I should get you a towel and some water."

Isak's hand went up and grabbed Even's wrists, holding him in place. "Wait until Eskild gets back." He rubbed his thumbs against Even's pulse points and watched him swallow roughly. 

"Okay." Even's eyes were heavy on him. They roamed, explored, lingered, until a slow smile started to spread over his lips. "Those pictures today were really good. We should do it again sometime. Minus the bloody nose."

Isak nodded against Even's palms. "We should. We have to continue the search for my inner artist."

Even grinned. "I'm not giving up."

"I know you aren't."

Even was still smiling. His hands had started to stroke Isak's face gently. The pressure of every stroke felt like a message tapped out in morse code, carrying obvious meaning that was impossible to identify without a cheat sheet. But the soft smile and the worried eyes, those were a different story. Isak pressed a light kiss to the inside of Even's wrist and watched the smile grow.

"Okay boys, make room for nurse Eskild!"

They both jumped in their seats as Eskild entered. His red hair was still dark with moisture, but he had pulled on a t-shirt and a pair of briefs, small mercies. He waggled his eyebrows at them and showed them his catch from the kitchen. "Ice ice baby?"

"He needs that." Even cleared his throat and dropped his hands from Isak's face. "I'll go find a towel and some water." He shot Isak a quick wink before standing up.

"Bathroom is to the left, towels are under the sink!" Eskild took Even's place on the sofa and held up the ice tray and the towel he had snagged from the kitchen. "Let's see then, my little friend. Where do we put this?" He studied Isak's face with a disapproving frown. "Why are there so many tissues?"

"We met a lady," Isak muttered.

Eskild raised his eyebrows and started wrapping the ice tray in the kitchen towel.

"Yeah, we met an old lady on the tram and Even talked her into giving us some tissues. Why are you looking at me like that?"

A very self satisfied smirk had spread across Eskild's face. "I'm just saying," he said as he brought the ice up to Isak's face, "a guy who harasses old ladies for the sake of your well being is a guy you keep around."

Isak winced as the package was pressed against his nose. "Be careful. He probably thought he owed me as much after he head butted me."

Eskild's smirk suddenly dropped into a frown. "Head butted? Are you saying that he hurt you?"

"I mean yeah, but - "

"He's out."

Eskild was halfway off the sofa before Isak managed to snag his arm. "Hey hey hey, take it easy! It was an accident, okay? Sit down."

"I - " Eskild still looked torn. He threw a glance the way Even had dissapeared a few moments ago. "He didn't...?"

"No," Isak said firmly. "Sit back down. And hand me the ice, you're being too rough."

Eskild absently handed it to him and sat down with a huff. "You can't scare me like that. I don't want to mistrust Sana, but if he had laid a hand on you - "

"Wait, Sana?" Isak's voice sounded weird filtered through a thousand tissues, a towel and an ice tray, but he managed to convey his bafflement through raised eyebrows and wide eyes. "Have you been meddling in my life again?"

"Meddling is a quite strong word, Isak." Eskild crossed his legs and slung an arm across the back of the sofa. "I simply told her about your sexual frustration, and she said that she would see what she could do. Clearly, she could do quite a lot. I'm actually contemplating having her set me up with someone next."

"Oh you sneaky fucker." Isak shook his head and hid his whole face behind the towel-wrapped ice tray. 

Eskild just hummed and patted him lightly on the knee. "Do you think her brother is available? The one that isn't married, I mean. He's got pretty nice arms."

"Eskild!" Isak slapped Eskild's hand away from him and dropped the tray from his face. "Her brother? Seriously?"

"Whose brother?" Even was back with a towel and an orange plastic bowl that Isak had no recollection of seeing before.

"Even!" Eskild was off the sofa in an instant, gesturing to Even to sit down. "We were talking about Sana's bother. You know him, don't you?"

"Sure, yeah." Even sat down with the bowl in his lap, his body so close that his and Isak's legs were brushing against each other as the sofa dipped. He took the ice tray out of Isak's hand and ran his thumb briefly over his cheek.

"Lovely," Eskild said. He eyed them with a wide smile for a moment before clapping his hands together. "Right, I'll go see if I can... Or Linn probably wants some Fun Light, so ... That's in the bath - I mean kitchen. Yeah. Okay, you boys have fun!"

Even looked at Eskild's retreating back in amusement. "What was that about?"

Isak shook his head. "Too many things. He's basically like a dad with a too keen interest in his son's sex life."

The amusement was redirected at Isak as Even wetted a towel in the bowl. "He's trying to get you laid then?"

Isak's smile had a teasing edge to it. "That's the long term goal, yes."

Even hummed. "Long term goals are good to have." He started dabbing the towel against Isak's face, carefully cleaning away remains of dried blood. "What about short term?"

"Short term..." Isak faltered, just watching Even's face for a moment as he worked. His brow was scrunched up in concentration, plump lips pursed softly. "In the short term", he said, "we're just going to sit here."

Even looked up to meet his gaze. "On this sofa? The whole night?"

"If you want to."

Even studied his face, eyes light, but expression serious. Finally, he nodded. "Okay."

~

The light in the room was dim, only an open flame flickering from the wick of a candle burning low. The whole building, the whole world outside, felt sleepy, as it tends to do during the heaviest hours of the night. The warm weight of sleep was tugging at Isak's eyelids, but with Even's warmth pressed up against him on the couch and Even’s strong heartbeat thudding against his back, he felt no need for sleep to claim him. He could just lay there, playing with Even's fingers that were resting on his stomach. Long, pale, fingers, with a little birth mark on one of them, right by the second knuckle. Just big enough to be seen by Isak's tired eyes in the darkness.

Even kept pressing kisses to his hair. Softly, gently, like each kiss came with an afterthought, and every thought led to another tender press of lips against hair. The bowl lay forgotten on the floor, the tray of melted ice cubes swimming in the pink water.

Even's arms squeezed Isak gently, and his mouth came up right next to his ear. "You didn't just end up in this apartment, did you? There's a story."

Isak stared out into the living room. The candle was painting strange shadows on the walls. "Why do you think that?"

Isak felt Even shrug. "You're quite young. And Eskild seems to have... taken you in. Like he wants to protect you."

"I think he does. He saw me when I was... I mean, I kind of left home, and I .." Isak swallowed thickly.

Even squeezed him again. "Another night?"

Isak nodded. "Yeah."

Even pressed another kiss to his hair. "It's okay, you know," he said. "I meant what I said. We all shiver in the dark."

Isak smiled softly. "Thanks." He let a moment pass, and it was silence, and it was a presence that wasn't demanding, only accepting, and that made Isak sink further into Even's chest. "What you said, about finding the artist in me," he said. "I..." He was back to toying with Even's fingers, slowing tracing along the fine bone structure as the words took form. "When you create, it's like a love affair. There's so much passion. I just... I don't know if I can do that anymore." The last sentence was almost a whisper, and his voice sounded brittle and weak as it died out.

Even held him tight, and Isak could feel Even's heart beating against his back. A soft kiss was pressed to the top of his head before Even spoke. "You're right," he said softly. "Art is a bit like love. It comes and it goes, but every time you create it, it leaves a mark. And..." Even hesitated. "... and sometimes it hurts, but it's always beautiful."

Isak felt his eyes sting in a way that meant tears, and he didn't hold back as they started to fall. "I want it to be beautiful," he said.

Even continued to hold him tight. "It is. It really is, Isak. So beautiful." 

The candle was still shining a light on the two young men, and if anyone had been there to snap a picture, that would have been art.

~

In the morning, someone had.

Isak woke up to sun light flooding the room, the buzz of traffic coming to life down on the street, and a note on the coffee table. He blinked a couple of times to clear the sleep from his eyes and wiped at the corner of his mouth. His lips had stuck to Even's t-shirt during the night, and there was a dark little spot left to prove it. Even barely stirred as Isak sat up, and Isak smiled down at his sleep tousled form for a moment before reaching for the note. It was jammed under Even's camera, something Isak had no memory of seeing on the table last night. When he unfolded the little white note, he was met with blue ink letters hastily scribbled down in Eskild's hand writing:

_Have gone out with Linn to buy toilet paper. Found this when I was moving the backpack from the door this morning, left a little memory on it for you. Isak, please keep this boy around. (And don't forget laundry day.)_

The note ended with a heap of sloppy hearts and a little doodle of a washing machine. Isak chuckled lightly and ran a thumb over one of the hearts.

"What's up?" Even’s voice was rough with sleep.

Isak watched in amusement as he rubbed at his eyes. "I think Eskild took a picture of us when we were sleeping.”

"Oh yeah?" Even slung his legs over the edge of the sofa and sat up. He smiled before leaning over and pressing a kiss to Isak's cheek. "Good morning."

"Good morning." Isak kissed him back, just a quick press of lips against cheek, and reached for the camera. "Let's asses the damage."

Even accepted the camera from Isak and turned it on. As soon as he pulled up the picture, his face went soft. The picture was, as everything shot by that camera, in black and white, and with the morning light filtering through the windows, the shades of grey were light with smooth transitions. The whole picture looked gentle with their tousled hair, slightly parted lips and intertwined fingers. Isak nose didn't look as bad when the heaps of tissues had been traded for little tufts of toilet paper, and even the darker patches of bruising on his skin looked innocent when it was matched with the peaceful traits of sleep.

"Something for your project?" Isak said softly.

Even shook his head. "No. This is for us." They looked at each other with matching smiles, and one of Even's hands went up to cup Isak's face. "You still look like shit."

Isak snorted, and immediately winced when pain shot up his nose. "You're a real gentleman, aren't you?"

Even grinned. "Let me make it up to you. One last thing, it'll make it up to you."

"Okay?"

Even rubbed his thumb over Isak's cheek. "Have breakfast with me. Somewhere nice."

Isak raised his eyebrows. "We're going out?"

"Yeah. Somewhere with good coffee and freshly baked bread. What do you say?"

Isak cocked his head to the side, considering. "Åpent Bakeri has some pretty good strawberry jam."

Even nodded enthusiastically. "The one where there are no shops? By Slottsparken?"

Isak grabbed Even's hand and tugged on it as he stood up. "You can take me to any of them, as long as I get to keep my trousers on."

Laughter filled the apartment and Even squeezed Isak's hand. "I promise, I'm not going to make you take your trousers off."

Isak eyed him with a sly smile. "Well, I didn't mean forever."

"Oh, don't worry." Even's smile was blinding. "Keeping your trousers on is only part of the short term plan."

**Author's Note:**

> Fancy seeing you all the way down here! If you enjoyed it, please leave kudos, and if you have some feedback, feel free to drop it off in the comments. Thank you for reading!


End file.
